I recently lost a beautiful friend to breast cancer and just felt like I needed some quality time to reflect, and appreciate life. I lay the rug in the sunshine to make some beautiful, fragrant, flower crowns and garlands with my little ones ( or not so little ones). Its really easy, you just need a few bunches of frangipanis, some thread and either a needle or toothpick ( you just tie the thread to a tooth pick ) or use a needle and thread and just poke it through the centre being careful to keep them straight and keep threading them on to make a full crown or even longer to make a necklace they smell amazing too. XXX

If we are being totally honest it won’t be as easy as you hoped and unfortunately Bali isn’t as cheap as it once was and we will explain why later, however keep reading we have some ideas for you to make it all come together as you have dreamt. I always tell people that the prices may not be as cheap as they once were, but your money does go further here.

We are constantly being inundated with queries about how to plan a simple beach wedding. This will also take a fair bit of organization and will incur costs. Brides and grooms to be don’t realize this and anything they choose WILL cost money.

Things to consider first:

Can everybody travel?

Make sure the people you want coming are able to travel: Overly pregnant women ( later than 26 weeks struggle to get travel insurance) and the elderly will have issues getting on planes. Tash from Plan A Events and Costumes has experienced a couple make some preliminary inquiries as their dream wedding would be in Bali and we went through all the options and confirmation. The Bride then got back toTash the next day completely broken hearted because her father was older, and said he straight up did not want to (or feel able to) fly anywhere for her wedding. Of course it was a priority for her to have him there, so she had to cancel and have in in Australia. So while its ultimately up to the bride and groom where they want to wed, if there are certain people they cannot marry without, its wise to check they can actually fly on the dates they want, or at all!

Is a chapel important?

There are a growing number of chapels available for couples to get married in. However they only fit a certain amount of people, and for larger weddings, people are often standing in the back, all the way to outside the chapel. It does come at an extra cost as well and eats up time. Unless the couple is particularly religious, having the ceremony done in the villa instead of a chapel will save money from 1. Rental of the chapel and 2. Transport of guests to and from the chapel.

Legalising the wedding

Just because you get married in Bali, doesn’t mean it’s recognized in your home country. Getting legally married in Bali is definitely possible, but will take about a day to go to get it registered with the consulate and will cost extra as well. It is advisable to speak to your chosen celebrant and compare the cost difference between a legal wedding in Bali and getting your marriage certified in your home country and then just doing the ceremony here. Many couples opt for that.

Venue

This is probably where most people get frustrated. They see a location they love, but don’t realize that there will be hidden costs. For example. Most villas that hold weddings require a minimum night stay. On top of that you need to pay a bond to hold your event, plus another payment (usually equivalent to a nights stay) and this is known as the event fee or the payment to have an event there in the first place. There is also the banjar fee ( for the local village) which ranges depending on location. Most places also require music to finish by midnight (some even by 10pm!).

Perhaps consider these recommendations of villas that offer a reasonable price in relation to the number of people they sleep.

This is an area that has a huge gradient between cheap and expensive. Like anything, you get what you pay for. Indonesian food by Indonesian caterers tend to be cheaper, and western food or canapés start getting pricy.
Price is especially variable where drinks are concerned. Sometimes people comment that the drinks we do can be quite expensive and I always have to explain that now, to get ‘real’ alcohol, you will have to spend it. And when it comes to your health and a good time, its worth spending the extra cash. (And by expensive, we mean western prices).

Florist

This can get pricy. Especially if you are using imported flowers. Keep it simple and only use local flowers. The florist usually also has access to his own chairs and lanterns, so you can do that all at once with him and get a discount usually rather than go to 3 separate vendors and pay full price for each thing.

– Driver to pick you up from your villa and drop you off at your dinner/final location

– Reservation organized for your dinner

– Pictures taken by witness

Budget wedding 20px: AUD $7,000-$9,000 50pax: AUD $10,000-$12,000 Not including cost of wedding planner as this will vary depending on the number of guests and also not including venue) .

– Food and drinks

– Dj

– Speaker & lighting

– Celebrant

– Photographer

– Cake

– Florist, chairs and lanterns

Main difference between starting prices is dependent on the alcohol package they choose and the flower package they choose (seriously, flowers can get so pricy!). These prices are not including the venue which would obviously depend on which one you choose and how many nights you stay. People can refer to the ones above if they want to work out a total.

In Summary ~

Local is always cheaper. The minute you start going for western vendors (florists, caterers etc) it’s going to be more expensive. It’s up to you to decide what you want to spend the bulk of your money on.

Risk the rain and come in the low season. You’ll be saving immensely on the nightly rate for your venue.

Get your guests to bring a bottle of champagne or wine each. Cheaper than here and then you only have to pay corkage fee with the caterers instead of super expensive sparkling.

Decide what your maximum budget is. Remember that a big portion of that will go to the venue, a big portion to f&b and the last big portion to the florist. The rest is usually quite easy to find affordable options.

Wedding favours don’t have to be elaborate. Make it something light that people can travel back home with and that doesn’t cost you a fortune. Those silver boxes ( pressed tin) you find everywhere in Bali are really affordable and you can just leave a thank you note in them and people will be happy enough with that as a keepsake and can use it to put their jewelry or fill up with wax at home to make their own candle. Speaking of candles, you can get nice ones at affordable prices at ACE hardware. By going to big chain stores here in Bali you can often find cheaper goods then going to shops who ‘specialise’ in wedding things as they hike up the price.

Don’t use a chapel. Have the ceremony at your chosen location.

Chooses Indonesian caterers and Indonesian food.

Go with a recommendation for make up artists, from someone who has had them before. Make up trials cost money so if you know the look you want, and you trust the person who has recommended the artist, just stick with it and get the first and final makeup done on the day.

The more elaborate and the more layers your cake has, the more expensive it will be. Cut the cost and have a very simple small cake to cut, and have the rest as simple cupcakes that people can come grab if and when they want. In addition, not everyone likes cake, so get about 1/3 less than the number of guests coming, or do you really need a cake?

Easiest type of food is finger food for the whole night then setting up a noodle or fried rice station at around 10pm. Sit down dinner requires more tables, chairs, linen etc. Stick with simple. Everyone will still get fed.

For things like photography, makeup, and hair always check if there is someone on the guest list that could donate this as a gift rather than hire one in Bali.

Keep costs at a minimum with music by making a playlist to play from the moment the ceremony is over and throughout dinner. Keep the dj for just the last couple of hours for the dancing/party after.

If you don’t even want to hire photographers, create a unique hash tag for your wedding day i.e. #mikeandlisasbaliwedding2014. When people take pics and upload them (which they will) make it a condition to always use this hash tag. It might be long, but they’re doing the work so after the wedding, all you need to do is type this into instagram and facebook, and every photo taken at your wedding by every single one of your guests will come up. Cheap way to get every angle possible at all times of the party!

Entertainment options for your guests vary from Balinese dancers to fire dancers to acoustic singers…the list goes on. If you are planning to be there for the entertainment and want to cut the price, make the speeches at this time instead. It’s just as entertaining, free, and best when there’s not too much alcohol involved so you can actually remember them. If you are planning to have the entertainment for your guests when you are your partner are off getting photos after the ceremony, cut costs by having the the MC (nominate one just as you would bridesmaids and groomsmen) play a slideshow of the two of you. Something that you create so you know what’s on it already and aren’t missing out.

At the end of the day, the biggest tip I can give is HIRE A PLANNER! It might sound cheaper to do it all on your own, but by paying just a little more, you will benefit big time:

– Don’t have to deal with language barriers,

– Don’t have to constantly deal with 100 different emails, names and quotes to remember. Especially when you get to Bali and are meant to be relaxing!

– With a planner you would only need to make one deposit and one final payment minimizing the number of times you get charged an international transfer fee. Doing it a million times for all the different vendors, the fee that’ll incur will end up being the same as what a planner would have charged, minus the hassle

– Planners have reputable vendors. Going through them ensures you wont be ripped off or receive substandard products.

– You get to RELAX! At the end of the day, this is your special day so leave the nitty grittys to someone else!

A huge thanks to Tash at Plan A Events and Costumes for all of her amazing ideas and suggestions. Tash has over 6 years industry experience and 10 years working in Indonesia and knows how to make magic happen.

So sometimes you just ‘serendipitously’ fall upon the cutest things that are at one with your soul, and Ole Ole Ollie is one of them for me, I love everything about this place! and you might just too. With the best cupcakes & cookies hands down on the island the Surfer-friendly, family-friendly, dog-friendly, and an all around friendly place!
Located just 100m from Echo Beach, Canggu, it is the perfect après-surf place to cool off after a hot day at the beach. They have cold beer, freshly brewed coffee, ice cream and pancakes. They also have a shared room for a clean bed for the night and the cutest private room for rent also! Jalan Batu Mejan, Echo Beach, Canggu, Bali 80361. Ph 0361 871 0068. Mon-Sun 8AM-9PM. Like them on facebook and become totally addicted like me https://www.facebook.com/OleOleOllie !!!! xxx

For those of you who love a bit of history and culture, you might enjoy the new Taman Nusa Cultural Park ( just near the Bali Safari Park) which aims to offer comprehensive information on the cultures of Indonesia’s various ethnic groups. You can see Indonesia in one Afternoon! It offers comprehensive information on the cultures of Indonesia’s various ethnic groups in an attractive and interactive way, and is situated on 15 hectares of land. Visitors are invited to explore and experience Indonesia’s journey throughout the ages beginning from the prehistory, bronze age, kingdoms, and an archipelago of Indonesian cultures. The journey continues to the early national era, independence, modern times and finally to the nation’s future. For more details check out the website.

If you need transfers, a tour guide or simply a driver for a few hours, speak to Agus he is reliable, speaks good English and is an all round great guy. Here he is with his gorgeous family ! LOVE. email – agus_balinees@yahoo.com or text message – +628123774269

Happy Saraswati Day to my Bali Hindu friends ~ today you celebrate and devote to the Goddess of Art, knowledge, literature and books. Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge, symbolized by a beautiful woman with four hands, riding on a white swan among water lilies to tell humanity that science is like a beautiful woman. Her hands hold a palm leaf; a lontar, (a Balinese traditional book which is the… source of science or knowledge); a chain (genitri with 108 pieces) symbolising that knowledge is never ending and has an everlasting life cycle; and a musical instrument (guitar or wina) symbolising that science develops through the growth of culture. The swans symbolise prudence, so that one’s knowledge may distinguish between good and evil and the water lilies (Lotus) are symbols of holiness.

The traditional ikat weaving process describes the way the pattern is made. It is a very time consuming business. The undyed yarns are tied together in such a way that, when the frame containing all the yarns is put into the die, they remain uncoloured. It is called a resist-die technique. Repeated tyings and dyeings eventually produce a textile of beautiful multi-hued patterns. It is only made in three places in the world: Bali, Japan and Gujarat in India.

The geringsing textiles of Tenganan Pegeringsingan are produced by the double-ikat method, geringsing literally means against sickness. These cloths are said to have magical, protective powers and are frequently part of the ritual costume of the village. geringsing are handmade from start to finish in a process that can take ten years. The village of Tenganan itself, lies at the head of a narrow valley two miles from the east coast of Bali.

I stumbled across this magnificent photo of a woman weaving on the net, all I can see is the photographer’s details are simpleyoga.

The Balinese have been cultivating rice for centuries. King Petru is said to have received the gift of some rice grains as a present from a god. The goddess Sri is said to have had to hide the grains away to protect them form the demon who wanted to steal the grains away. Many temples and rice paddies are dedicated to the goddess Sri. Rice is thus extremely important as it no only feeds the Balinese it is also very sacred.

A huge part of the Island has been cleared to to create rice terraces which are visually beautiful and also amazing in their sophisticated techniques of irrigation. The colours alter depending on the plantations and at which stage the crop is at. The rice will grow up to 60 cm in height and then it is ready for harvest. Ducks are used to fertilize the terraces and rice is part of most meals, ceremonies and offerings in Balinese Hindu Culture.

You will have noticed that kites of all shapes and sizes are always flying around the island. The children love them however they are actually very important to the adults. From June until September it is the windy season in Bali and the ancient tradition of kite building and flying is taken to a whole new level with huge competitions particularly in Sanur. There is an old tale of a sacred kite which was said to carry Ratu Atu or Saint Beautiful, protecting a particular village from an epidemic and since this time all kites are considered important. There is a great kite shop just before you get to the intersection on Jl. Kerobokan.